Chapter 10
Sophie froze for a moment, then heard her say, "You two are married, you can't keep living separately."
"I originally wanted you to move back to the Moore Mansion, but then I thought you young people wouldn't want to live with an old lady, so I dropped that idea."
"You know what I wish for, and you understand my pain. I hope you can get pregnant with Matthew's child soon."
Evelyn had gotten to the point.
Sophie knew this, of course. She had agreed to it from the start.
"Evelyn, I want to too, but Matthew he..." Sophie trailed off, believing Evelyn would understand.
Evelyn said, "Don't worry about him. The process doesn't matter, as long as the result is right."
Sophie sensed Evelyn's strong desire for a grandchild. Matthew probably didn't have much time left.
Even if she was willing to have a child, Matthew had to be willing to let her get pregnant.
And Matthew was even less willing than she was.
"Never mind anything else, you're moving in with him today." Evelyn made the decision. "This is settled."
Sophie resisted internally.
Living with Matthew? Their days together would be nothing but constant fighting.
"Evelyn, I'm fine with it, but Matthew he..."
"Don't worry about that." Evelyn was gentle but firm. "I'll talk to him. Either way, you're his wife. How can a married couple not live together?"
Hearing this, Sophie said nothing more.
Even if Matthew let her stay now, he'd kick her out later anyway.
There was no way Matthew would live with her.
Sophie stood in Matthew's living room, feeling the awkwardness of having wandered into someone else's home.
"Sophie is your wife. You need to take on a husband's responsibilities."
This was what Evelyn said when she brought Sophie before Matthew. Then she left.
Sophie faced Matthew alone, feeling very awkward.
Matthew leaned against the dining table, a cigarette between his lips, his hand lightly spinning a metal lighter, his dark eyes looking at Sophie with sharp intensity.
Sophie felt so uncomfortable under his gaze that her toes curled in her shoes.
"Quite capable." Matthew lit his cigarette with the lighter, took a drag, and looked at her sideways. "Using my mom to get what you want. Smart."
Hearing his mocking tone, Sophie had no defense.
In his eyes, she was just a woman trying to climb the social ladder, wanting to get pregnant with his child and live the life of a rich wife.
Sophie pulled at the corner of her mouth. "If you don't like it, I can leave."
"No need to leave." Matthew held the cigarette between his fingers, his lips parting slightly as light smoke drifted across his face.
Sophie froze, thinking she'd heard wrong.
Matthew braced his hand on the table edge, looking at her. "You schemed so hard to get close to me. Kicking you out won't help. If you want to live here, you follow my rules."
Sophie wanted to say it really wasn't necessary.
"Go ahead."
"You must be home by ten at night. I don't like hearing any noise in the middle of the night."
Sophie frowned. A curfew?
Still, her life was simple, she had few friends, no social events or dates. It wouldn't be hard.
"Okay." Sophie asked, "Anything else?"
Matthew lifted his eyelids, his gaze indifferent. "While you're in this house, you do what a wife should do."
Sophie suddenly thought of something and asked with a smile, "Does that include having children?"
Matthew's hand shook, and ash fell on the table.
Seeing this, Sophie smiled.
"In your dreams!" Matthew stubbed out the cigarette.
Sophie smiled sweetly. "Yeah, just dreaming."
Matthew frowned.
Sophie dropped her smile too. "Then I'll move in."
"Drop the act." Matthew said bluntly, "Your fake affection is disgusting."
Sophie struggled for a moment. "Why can't it be real affection for you?"
Matthew snorted coldly. "Affection for what?"
"You're good-looking, you have a great body. That makes people like you."
"Shallow."
Sophie was shallow.
But didn't most people start from shallow and go deeper?
Visually speaking, developing feelings for Matthew was all too easy.
She just liked good-looking people.
Matthew sat in a private room at the club, gently swirling his wine glass, shrouded in gloom.
"You actually let her into your life. Impressive."
The man sitting across from him adjusted his silver-framed glasses. Wearing a suit vest, with handsome features and gentle eyes that seemed to smile, he looked refined and warm.
Henry Bennett had heard about Matthew's marriage shortly after going abroad. If he hadn't been tied up with things, he would have come back earlier to meet this woman.
Just after returning, he heard the woman had moved into Matthew's place, and Matthew had agreed to it. Henry came to see him without even changing his clothes.
"You and Joshua keep in touch?" Matthew's tone was light, but his displeasure was obvious.
Henry took his wine glass and drank it in one gulp. "I'm concerned about you."
Matthew couldn't be bothered with him.
Thinking about having another person in his house made his frown deepen.
"Don't fall in love with her." Henry poured another glass of wine, his tone light.
Matthew glanced at him. "You're sick."
Henry shrugged. "A woman, a woman living with you, has now entered your life. Entering your heart isn't far off."
"If you can't say anything useful, don't talk." Matthew was irritated.
Henry smiled. "Just because I don't say it doesn't mean it won't happen."
Matthew shot him a sharp look. Henry smiled and took another sip of wine.
At the same time, Emily was on video call wearing a face mask, frowning with worry. "Don't fall in love with him."
Sophie sat in a dining chair, eating noodles. "You don't need to worry so much. I won't."
"You're living together now." Emily looked troubled. "It's easy for things to happen, easy to lose control."
"Really, I won't." Sophie took a sip of soup. "I've tried. I sat on his lap and he pushed me away. Even if I stood naked in front of him, he wouldn't lose control."
On this point, Sophie had no doubt.
Matthew might say those things, but when it came to actually doing it, he couldn't.
With another woman, Emily wouldn't dare say, but with Sophie, she didn't need to get naked—any normal man in a room with her couldn't play the gentleman.
"Don't worry. Even if something were to happen, I'd be the one who couldn't hold back first."
Sophie finished the last sip of soup and put down her bowl. "He's really handsome, with a great body. Having a child with him would be a beautiful thing."
Emily laughed at her words. "Then have one with him."
Sophie pulled out a tissue to wipe her mouth. "When he gets back, I'll try with him."
Suddenly there was noise at the door. Sophie quickly ended the call with Emily.
In front of Matthew, she'd better restrain herself.
Matthew didn't even look at her, taking off his jacket as if she didn't exist, and walked inside.
He hung his clothes on the rack, unbuttoned his cuffs, took off his watch, walked to the kitchen and poured a glass of water, standing right behind Sophie to drink it.
He had actually let this woman move in.
A fake, scheming woman was his wife in name.
Matthew irritably drank the glass of water, put down the glass, and headed back to the bedroom.
"Matthew."
Matthew's form stiffened slightly. He turned around.
Sophie tilted her head slightly, a bright smile spreading across her face. "We're sleeping together tonight, right?"